Washington DC is one of the greenest cities around, and getting greener by the day.
Who’s hitting it out of the park? The variety of players is impressive.
A baseball stadium, for one. Toss in a park commission, an electric cooperative, and a bustling entertainment district.
And here at Level Green Landscaping, we’re doing our part, too.
Here’s a look at how several DC companies are building greener, operating smarter and working diligently to protect the earth.
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative
Unlike many utility companies, Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative is non-profit, owned by its customer members. And it produces some of its power with help from the sun and wind.
The electric cooperative operates a solar farm on 33 acres in Hughesville to convert sunlight into energy.
SMECO uses some of the solar energy to supply its engineering and operations center, but most of the power is delivered to the grid.
Wind power is an important part of SMECO’s renewable energy strategy, too. They buy a portion of the power generated by several wind farms in Pennsylvania.
Honored by the Solar Electric Power Association as the Electric Cooperative Utility of the Year in 2014, SMECO has reduced its own carbon footprint and offers ways its customers can save energy, too.
Level Green Landscaping is proud to partner with the cooperative in maintaining its vast solar field, mowing and trimming weeds around its more than 23,000 solar panels.
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission administers a park system of more than 52,000 acres in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties.
“We’re conservationists,” says Phil Wilson, assistant director of the horticulture and forestry section for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
“We want to be at the forefront, saving energy, being good stewards of the land. The taxpayers have entrusted us to take care of this land for them, for their kids and their grandkids. It’s the right thing to do.”
That’s why they hired Level Green Landscaping to re-do an area of Patuxent River Park, replacing cracked and crumbling concrete steps, landings and walkways with permeable pavers that allow rainwater to seep through, then be piped away from the river and into a nearby wooded area.
The green project helped the commission earn the Maryland Green Center Award, a state government certification that shows that the MMCPPC saves energy, reduces pollution runoff and helps prevent erosion along the waterway.
The Wharf
The Wharf is a bustling DC hot spot, boasting bars, restaurants, music venues, hotels, offices and residences overlooking the water just south of the National Mall.
The $2.5 billion neighborhood on 24 acres of land and 50 acres of water was designed to be energy efficient from the beginning.
The developers worked with an energy efficiency consulting group to help attain LEED Silver certification.
The buildings and retailers that line the waterfront are some of the most energy-efficient buildings in the city.
The Wharf incorporated green roofs, 300 new trees and preserved mature oaks and 340 square feet of floating wetland systems.
Multiple forms of on-site sustainable energy production and conservation are in place, including a co-generation plant and energy-efficient lighting.
Nationals Park
Washington Nationals fans might be too busy watching Juan Soto or munching their Chesapeake crab cake sandwich to notice, but their ball park gets major green points.
Nationals Park, the 41,222-seat stadium in the southeast corner of the city, is the first professional ballpark in the U.S. to earn LEED certification.
The eye-catching ballpark is made of steel, glass and pre-cast concrete, but a green space area beyond the centerfield wall features cherry trees, shrubs and plants tended by two full-time groundskeepers.
The grounds crew uses fuel-efficient lawn mowers and field maintenance vehicles. Vehicles, from field ambulances to small carts, are powered by electricity.
Even the cleaning supplies used are environmentally friendly, and extensive signage provides clear recycling instructions for fans.
Level Green Landscaping
Here at Level Green Landscaping, sustainability is a top priority. You can see it in all sorts of ways, from the cars we drive to the equipment we use to our recycling practices.
We recycle all of our green waste. Our management vehicles are hybrids. We’re moving from gas-fueled to battery-powered mowers, blowers, weed-eaters and shears. We use brine to combat ice and snow — it uses one quarter of the amount of salt as traditional rock salt, so it’s gentler to the environment.
Level Green Landscaping’s longtime motto, “Do the Right Thing,” means being kind to the earth.
Need Help With Your Green Project? Count Us In
Level Green Landscaping is committed to work that makes the earth a cleaner, safer place.
Need permeable pavers? Stormwater retention ponds? LEED certification? A green roof? We’re on it.
If you’re not already a Level Green Landscaping client, we’d love to add you to our growing list of happy customers.
Our focus is on commercial properties like offices, mixed-use sites, HOAs, municipalities and institutions in Maryland, Washington DC and parts of Virginia.
Contact us at 202-544-0968.
You can also request a free consultation online to meet with us one-on-one.
We’d love to hear from you.
Image sources: SMECO logo, MMCPPC logo, wharf logo, nationals logo
